A multilateral conversation with Iran

This past Saturday United States Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad spoke on a panel with two Iranian officials at Davos (video below). Khalilzad’s participation was apparently unauthorized. Today’s New York Sun and the Los Angeles Times have interesting articles on the event. The moderator begins the panel with an insult to former United States Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton. Rice is apparently angry that Khalilzad participated in the panel without administration authorization. I am angry that Khalilzad participated after the insult to his predecessor in office. Disgusting.

UPDATE: We asked Ambassador Bolton to comment. He has kindly replied:

When I was at the UN, this would not have happened. Perhaps the State Department or the White House are sending a signal to Iran that our policy is weakening yet again. They should be asked to say one way or the other on the record.

Indeed they should, and they should also be asked about protocol regarding the insult to our former ambassador at a panel on foreign soil.